Manchego cheese
- First taste
- 6 months
- Choking risk
- high
- Common allergen
- yes
- Iron
- low
Sheep's milk · milk allergen · choose pasteurized
Contains allergens
Each new allergen is offered on its own and watched for two hours. Our allergen introduction guide is available in Turkish for now.
When can babies eat Manchego cheese?
You can offer manchego once baby is ready for solids, usually around 6 months. It may be high in salt. An occasional taste within a varied diet is fine. To lower the risk of foodborne illness, pick a pasteurized one.
Manchego is from La Mancha, a dry-climate region of Spain. There, milk from Manchega sheep is warmed, the curds are drained and pressed into cylinder molds. Cheesemakers once used braided esparto grass molds. The zig-zag pattern called pleita on the rind comes from them. Today plastic molds give the same pattern.
Aging times differ. Fresco rests about 2 weeks. Semi-curado ranges from at least 3 weeks to 4 months. Curado ages 3 to 6 months. Viejo or anejo ages 1 year.
How do you prepare Manchego cheese for babies?
General tips
Serve pasteurized cheese as long, flat slices. Grated cheese can be sprinkled over meals. Skip cubes and big clumps.
Manchego is often made from raw milk. Choose a pasteurized one.
Salt
Manchego is salty. Babies eat little per meal, so it is fine within a varied diet. Some sodium is needed for baby's fluid balance. Sharing family meals gives baby a chance to try more flavors and textures.
Preparation by age
The same food is served differently at each age. What matters is how your baby sits, grasps and chews, more than the calendar.
6 months
6 months · How to prepare as long slicesslice
Cut: Finger strip
Offer a taste of pasteurized manchego now and then. Cut long, flat slices. Baby can hold these alone, and choking risk drops. Do not give cubes or big chunks.
6 months · How to prepare shreddedcube
Cut: Grated
Grate the cheese and sprinkle a little over meals. If you want it melted, start from shreds. Large melted globs are hard for a young baby to manage in the mouth.
12 months
12 months · How to prepare as slices and piecesslice
Cut pasteurized cheese into long flat slices or tear bite-sized pieces from a flat slice. After 18 months you can offer pieces cut from a thin slice. A long slice also suits biting and tearing practice. You can melt a thin layer over bread, pasta or vegetables. The cheese should not be scorching hot, and it should not cool into clumps.
12 months · How to prepare gratedcube
Cut: Grated
Grate the cheese. Serve it alone or fold it into meals. Cubes and big melted globs carry high choking risk, so keep avoiding them.
Is Manchego cheese a choking hazard for babies?
Choking risk: high
Firm cheese may clump into a sticky lump while chewing. Skip cubes and big melted globs. Offer long flat slices or a light shred.
Manchego can be firm, and it may clump into a sticky lump inside the mouth. That is why it carries choking risk.
Offer long flat slices or shreds. Do not give cubes or big melted globs. Stay with baby for the whole meal.
Is Manchego cheese a common allergen?
The milk in manchego comes from sheep. Compared with cow's milk, sheep's milk is seen as a less common allergen. Still, dairy from ruminants like sheep, goats and buffalo can cause reactions similar to cow's milk. That is why it is treated as a milk allergen. Childhood milk allergy often goes away with time. Aged cheeses contain histamine. In children sensitive to it, a rash can appear.
Babies with cow's milk FPIES are advised to avoid sheep's milk too. FPIES is a delayed allergy that starts a few hours after eating with repeated vomiting and diarrhea. Left untreated, it can cause fluid loss. FPIES that starts early usually clears between ages 3 and 5.
Lactose intolerance can be mistaken for allergy. It is uncommon in babies. Aged cheeses are low in lactose and most people tolerate them better.
If you suspect a milk allergy, talk to an allergist before cheese. For a low-risk baby, the first servings happen at home in a small amount, on their own. If there is no reaction, raise the amount slowly.
Key nutrients
Frequently asked questions about Manchego cheese
Is manchego too salty for babies?
Not when given in small amounts now and then within a varied diet. Babies eat little, and some sodium is needed. Choose a pasteurized one.
Can a baby with cow's milk allergy have sheep's milk cheese?
It should not be given. Sheep, goat and buffalo milk can trigger reactions like cow's milk. If you suspect milk allergy, ask an allergist before cheese.
Is manchego made from raw milk?
Often, yes. Choose pasteurized manchego to lower the risk of foodborne illness.
Sources for this page
- American Academy of Pediatrics. (2014). Committee on Infectious Diseases, Committee on Nutrition. Consumption of raw or unpasteurized milk and milk products. Pediatrics 133(1):175-179.
- Liem D. (2017). Liem DG. Infants' and children's salt taste perception and liking. Nutrients 9(9):1011. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu9091011
- Warren CM, Jhaveri S, Warrier MR, Smith B, Gupta RS. (2013). The epidemiology of milk allergy in US children. Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2013.02.016
- El-Agamy EI. (2007). El-Agamy E. The challenge of cow milk protein allergy. Small Ruminant Research 68. Small Ruminant Research. doi:10.1016/j.smallrumres.2006.09.016
- Nowak-Węgrzyn A. (2015). Nowak-Wegrzyn A. Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome. Allergy and Asthma Proceedings 36(3). Allergy and Asthma Proceedings. doi:10.2500/aap.2015.36.3811
Guides on iron, allergen introduction, gagging and drinks. Read the starting solids guides
Medical note
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Talk to your pediatrician before any feeding decision, especially about allergen introduction and reactions.
The Lokmini app
Log Manchego cheese, reactions and your allergen journey in the app.
Open in LokminiLokmini is coming soon to the App Store.
Astro Tasarım Simay Yenice · Türkiye · merhaba@lokmini.com